#Juliet O’Hara the woman you are

[a-side-blog-if-you-will]

pysch is a cool show with comedy and mystery and whatnot but the real mystery/plot/point of interest is the pineapples. I’m just here for the pineapples really.

(Respectfully) move over Burton Guster with your lunatic sidekick Spencer Shawn or something I just wanna see the pineapples

[philtstone]

14 (role swap) for Shawn and Juliet!

u should all know that it physically pained me to write shawn as a real cop but i think -- i think -- i cracked the code on it. posted the full thing on ao3 bc it somehow got all the way up to 3000 words, good lord

Ten minutes after Santa Barabara’s Chief of Police offers her a job, Juliet finds herself back in the interrogation room.

Here’s the thing. Juliet’s not a liar. She has plenty of other flaws – not confident enough, too distrustful, and unfortunately so enthralled by the idea of doing real detective work that she almost got herself arrested – but a liar?

Well. Sure. She can lie. An unfortunate side-effect of being a career conman’s favorite daughter.   

But she’s not a liar by trade.  

She wants to be taken seriously, and she’ll say what people want to hear to get there. That’s a perfectly respectable angle for a young woman in this economy to take, is what she tells herself to get rid of the icky feeling at the back of her tongue that’s all knotted up with the memory of her dad’s irritating voice in her head.

You have it easier than I do, Jewel. In some ways, folks’ll believe just about anything a pretty girl says.

Unfortunately, this particular piece of paternal wisdom became totally irrelevant when the sour-faced head detective who brought her in for questioning turned out to have a deep and irrational mistrust of all womankind. 

His partner, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have any of the same hangups – not to Juliet, anyway, who definitely noticed the almost-sweet way his focus kept drifting dreamily to her long untied hair. 

“I was told I could go.”

Their footsteps echo down the stairs to the basement. A few steps behind him, she can’t help but glance around the stairway for possible points of easy escape. She takes the opportunity to tug the neckline of her shirt just a little bit lower.

“This’ll be just a second, I promise.”

“Just because we’re in a police station doesn’t mean I trust you not to try something.”

“Miss O’Hara,” the door is opened for her, “I know you’ve got a taser hidden in the inner pocket of your jacket. Pink glitter on the handle, little beaded flower charm to hang it from? So very in character. Even if I was the type to try something, I think you could definitely take me.”

She’d clocked him as mostly harmless, earlier. Not much older than Juliet herself, a maybe-immature, well-meaning, generally-naive rookie, the sort of junior detective who’s on the force because he wants to help old ladies cross the road and rescue cats from trees.

The kind of rookie Juliet herself would be, if she’d ever had the chance to properly pursue a career as a detective. 

The thing of it is, she’d been more concerned with convincing Lassiter she was innocent – and then, well, clairvoyant – to really worry about his second in command. Besides, the guy had seemed an easy sell. By her cursory assessment, Detective Shawn Spencer was the last person in this whole equation who she thought would even bother to try to sniff out her game.

READ THE REST ON AO3!

[obsidiancreates]

One Undead To Another (Chapter 18)

Movin' Right Along, We've Got A Life On The Highway (To Hell)

“Don’t.”

Juliet doesn’t put her phone away. “It was murder, Carlton.”

Lassiter nods. “And we’re homicide detectives who aren’t walking corpses!”

“We’re also homicide detectives who’ve barely solved our own cases for the last five years!”

“First of all, that’s only because Spencer forces his way into every case we get. If he didn’t, we’d have solved them all the same!”

“Would we have?”

“Yes! And second of all, if that wasn’t true, then this would just be… practice!” Lassiter gestures behind him to the crime scene at the lake. The body of the young woman is still being loaded into the coroner’s van. “Which we might need a lot more of from now on!”

“... You don’t think Shawn should come back at all, do you?” “I think he should take a long, long time to figure this out.”

“You want him to retire?”

“No!”

“It sounds like it!” “I want him to recover, O’Hara!” Lassiter shouts it so loud that Juliet has to cover her ears. He growls, then sighs. “Spencer’s never taken any of this the way a normal person does, or should. And usually he can work through it fine, and I’m not saying I believe in the wishy-washy world of therapy any more than I’m mandated to by the department and my divorce lawyer, but… he can’t just joke this one off, and he can’t work it off either.”

They both sit in silence, for a while.

And then Juliet puts her phone away.

“You’re right. You are, I know it, I just… I wish this hadn’t happened.”

“... Me too. … I’ll work on those notebooks from the vampires when we get back. You can take point with this drowning case.”

“Sounds good, partner.”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“And… go!”

Shawn tries to lift the couch. He strains, huffing and whine-squealing. It’s actually not absurdly heavy- it was cheap, Gus really cut the furniture budget after the fifth time Shawn redecorated without telling Gus he was going to- so it lifts a good bit, but no more quickly or easily than it would when Shawn was– than before.

“Quit exaggerating, Shawn.”

Shawn rolls his eyes, but stops with the faces and noises. He tries again. Someone walking by outside makes eye contact with him. He winks. The person makes a face that’s more disturbed than is really warranted, and speed-jogs away.

Gus tsks, and Shawn hears his pen scratching on paper. Shawn sets the couch down and feels his low back.

“Well, the strength may be a wash, but–” Shawn flops down onto the couch. “– my spine isn’t. I’m not even sore, dude!”

“And your form was terrible. Alright, that’s something.” Gus writes some more.

Shawn huffs. “My form was awesome, man.”

“Please. If you didn’t have a super spine now, it’d be shattered.”

“Shattered? I would have shattered my spine bones with that? I’m not you, Gus. Whole milk, granite bones.”

“Whole milk, granite stomach.”

“Tsk!”

“Tsk!”

“Tsk!”

“TSK!”

Shawn looks away, not admitting defeat in their little war, but not not admitting it.

… He’d needed this. Really, really needed this. Needed Gus arguing with him over little things, needed stupid antics to scare away potential clients walking past the office, needed some uneventful and almost boring downtime to fill with whatever they could think up.

Needed normalcy.

And if he tries he can ignore the bone-deep freeze, the tempting rich-smooth taste in the air, the pulse in Gus’s veins. If he tries he can pretend it’s own pulse he feels in his teeth, pretend the taste is just some drink he had earlier lingering on his tongue, pretend the AC is just busted and stuck on its lowest setting.

He leans his head back against the armrest of the couch and lets the sun from the window hit his face. The warmth it gives is surface-level. He used to be able to feel it all the way down to his muscle, and now it sits on the top layer of his flesh like the condensation from his shower did.

It’s fine. He can pretend that’s just because he put on sunscreen. 

“... Do you think they really got a drowning victim today?”

Shawn shrugs, closing his eyes. 

Gus sets his pen down. “I knew it.”

… Ah, crap.

“Look, you don’t have to tell me whatever actually happened this morning with the gasping and all that, but you do owe it to me to let me know when you’re lying for Jules and Lassie.”

“Sorry, man.”

“It’s alright. Just… stop icing me out.”

“... Were you waiting until I was relaxed to ask about that?”

“Maybe.”

“You did this on purpose.”

“What, helped you take your mind off things so you didn’t freak out when I asked you a question?”

“... Fair enough.” Shawn rolls over onto his stomach, stretching one arm up over the back of the couch and letting the other dangle to the floor so the sun can hit his back, too. “This isn’t so bad, right now.”

“No, it’s not.” Gus sounds almost surprised. “... Maybe the worst of it is behind us?”

Shawn groans and buries his face into the couch cushion. “Come on, man! You totally just jinxed us!”

Gus scoffs- and then horror dawns on his face. “Oh, no! I totally did!”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Henry rubs his eyes and watches the footage again.

He pulled it from a traffic cam just outside one of the few shops around the house. He doesn’t think that motorcycle he’d been chasing footage of earlier was Shawn anymore– not if Shawn was kidnapped again. But that means one of the cars he’d overlooked in the footage probably held his son, at some point, now more than two days ago. 

He hasn’t found anything to corroborate that theory.

What he has found, is… confusing.

He watches, again, as the quick succession of snapshots shows some… item, being thrown from somewhere outside of the cameras range, into a dumpster behind one of the shops along the road leading up to the mansion.

It’s maybe nothing.

But this case is connected to Shawn. So it’s probably something.

He stands up to go check if, by some stroke of luck, that garbage hasn’t been picked up yet at the same time that Lassiter and Juliet come swiftly striding into the bullpen. 

All three of them freeze.

Henry makes eye contact with Lassiter. Nothing. Then Juliet. Tension, wariness, but nothing else.

He can’t blame them. Was it just this morning, that he came into the office and accused them all of a cover-up? And now here he stands, with new information, knowing they were most likely just helping protect his son after the second kidnapping in less than a year.

“Detectives.” He nods at them- they probably won’t forgive him just from his respectful tone, but now isn’t the time for clearing up minor miscommunications. Whatever happened, the four of them are keeping it to themselves. He’s no stranger to that.

And so, as usual, he’ll investigate it himself, and get a confession once he’s sure of all his facts.

“Spencer.” Lassiter looks away quickly after that and heads straight to his desk. He looks into the box on it, pulls on some gloves, and sits down.

Henry watches for just a second, and then turns to leave the station.

They’re all working the same case. Presumably, for the same reasons.

How are they all working so opposed?

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Thank you.” Chief Vick sets the phone back into the receiver with more control than she feels within. She reaches into her desk and pulls out two small metal balls, rotating them in the palm of her hand and taking a deep breath.

Apparently, Santa Barbara isn’t the first town the MO of that cult showed up in in California.

She’d really hoped their last tussle with a themed serial killer was, well… their last. 

… At least now she understands why Shawn has taken a few days away. It’s all a bit soon.

Maybe it’s best she leave him be for a while.

[atla-milf-month]

ATLA MILF Month will happen in March 2025! This month will celebrate all the ATLA-verse moms and older women who... well, you know!

Click here to submit prompts! Click here to check the event guidelines! Do you have any questions? Do you want to be a mod? Please send us an ask.

Thank you for participating. We hope you enjoy the event!

More about the archetypes under the cut!

Taken from "Writing 101: All the Different Types of Characters in Literature".

Characters in a work of fiction can usually be grouped into archetypes. These archetypes have been categorized by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, the American literary theorist Joseph Campbell, and generations of authors, screenwriters, and storytellers. Here are the 12 commonly discussed character archetypes:

1. The Lover: the romantic lead who’s guided by the heart. Their strengths include humanism, passion, and conviction. Their weaknesses include naivete and irrationality. Some famous lovers are Romeo, Juliet, and Scarlett O’Hara. 

2. The Hero: the protagonist who rises to meet a challenge and saves the day. Their strengths are courage, perseverance, and honor. Their weaknesses include overconfidence and hubris. Some famous heros are Achilles, Luke Skywalker, and Wonder Woman 

3. The Magician: a powerful figure who has harnessed the ways of the universe to achieve their goals. Their strengths may include omniscience, omnipotence, and discipline, while their weaknesses center on corruptibility and arrogance. Prospero, Gandalf, Morpheus, and Dumbledore are famous magician characters. 

4. The Outlaw: the rebel who won’t abide by society’s demands. The outlaw can be a bad guy, but not always. The outlaw’s strengths include independent thinking and skepticism. Their weaknesses may include self-involvement and criminality. Among the famous outlaws are Han Solo, Dean Moriarty, and Humbert Humbert. 

5. The Explorer: a character naturally driven to push boundaries and find what’s next. Their strengths: They are curious, driven, and motivated by self-improvement. They are weak in that they are restless, unreliable, and never satisfied. Famous explorers include Odysseus, Sal Paradise, and Huckleberry Finn. 

6. The Sage: a wise figure with knowledge for those who inquire. Strengths of the sage include wisdom, experience, and insight. In terms of weakness, the sage may be overly cautious and hesitant to actually join the action. A few famous sages: Athena, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Hannibal Lecter (an evil sage). 

7. The Innocent: a morally pure character, often a child, whose only intentions are good. Their strengths range from morality to kindness to sincerity. Their weaknesses start with being vulnerable, naive, and minimally skilled. Famous innocents are Tiny Tim, Lennie Small, Cio-Cio-San. 

8. The Creator: a motivated visionary who creates art or structures during the narrative. Their strengths include creativity, willpower, and conviction. Their weaknesses include self-involvement, single-mindedness, and lack of practical skills. Famous creators include Zeus, Dr. Emmett Brown, and Dr. Moreau. 

9. The Ruler: a character with legal or emotional power over others. The ruler’s strengths include omnipotence, status, and resources. Their weaknesses include aloofness, being disliked by others, and always seeming out of touch. Famous rulers include Creon, King Lear, and Huck Finn’s Aunt Sally. 

10. The Caregiver: a character who continually supports others and makes sacrifices on their behalf. Among their strengths, caregivers are honorable, selfless, and loyal. Among their weaknesses, they lack personal ambition or leadership. Sometimes they even lack self worth. Famous caregivers include Dolly Oblonsky, Calpurnia, and Samwell Tarly. 

11. The Everyman: a relatable character who feel recognizable from daily life. When it comes to strengths, they are grounded, salt-of-the-earth, and relatable. In terms of weaknesses, they typically lack special powers and are often unprepared for what’s to come. Famous everymen: Bilbo Baggins, Leopold Bloom, Leslie Knope. 

12. The Jester: an intentionally funny character who provides comic relief but may also speak important truths. Strengths include the ability to be funny, disarming, and insightful. Weaknesses include the capacity to be obnoxious and superficial. Famous jesters range from Sir John Falstaff to King Lear’s Fool to George’s parents in Seinfeld.

[cintasfics]

Blue eyes and the tie to match

pairing: carlton lassiter x oc

wc: 551

summary: a case involving models and a fashion designer causes some changes to occur within the group style-wise, and marley can’t help but voice her appreciation

warnings: none

a/n: a quick little piece based on 02x15 where shawn and gus go undercover as male models. juliet was looking fine in her new clothes and I thought lassiter looked so cute in his new tie! though I have to say that I’m a proud member of the striped tie gang, they’re probably my favourite on him.

The trio made their way into the station, on their way to inform the chief of the plagiarised designs and newly uncovered motive, but they were frozen in place as Juliet crossed their path in her eye-catching new outfit. Joined in the hallway by Lassiter, they all took a moment to take her in, admiring her hair free from its usual up-do, her cinched waist, and the open-toed heels adorning her feet. They all shared a look of awe before following after her.

‘What happened to you?’ the chief was similarly stunned by the detective’s new appearance.

‘I am a woman, chief. And I am choosing to dress like one,’ came Juliets proud response, the outfit and her friend’s reactions giving her ego a boost.

‘You can say that again,’ Marley’s whistle of appreciation earned her a wink and a flick of the hair.

‘You can’t do that, O’Hara,’ protested Lassiter, not used to seeing his partner so glammed up.

‘I paid for it myself. I was feeling good about myself, it was my lunch break and… Carlton, is that a new tie?’

Not wanting to admit that the heartbroken model’s critical appraisal of his clothes got to him, he rebuked her observation with a quick ‘don’t be ridiculous.’

~}i{~

As the group made their way to the cars out front, set on paying Emily Bloom a visit, Marley fell into step beside Lassiter.

‘I like your new tie, by the way.’

‘Oh, uh, thanks.’

‘It really stands out against the grey of your suit, plus it brings out your eyes.’

Taken aback by her unexpected compliment, he stumbled over his words, ‘my eyes- you like-.’

His heart was already beating faster than normal from her words and the shy smile directed his way, but Shawn’s hand suddenly landing on his shoulder made it feel like it was about to jump out of his chest.

‘Hey Marls, I can’t deal with Gus’ lavender scented everything anymore, so I’m gonna ride with Lassie and Jules to save myself the headache.’

‘What? That’s not fair! If I have to suffer through it then so do you,’ her own timidness from working up the courage to comment on Lassiter’s new tie was quickly forgotten in favour of arguing with Shawn.

‘I’ve suffered enough dealing with Fabio over there as well as my dad’s ‘relationship’ issues all alone while trying to crack this case, while you’ve been off galivanting doing god knows what, so I deserve this small bit of respite.’

‘Galivanting? I’ve been working, Shawn!’

Lassiter shrugged Shawn’s hand off his shoulder as he and Marley continued to fight over who would ride in what car, his heart rate slowly returning to its normal rhythm.

It wasn’t often that Lassiter received compliments, not sincere ones at least, and certainly not about his appearance. Most compliments he received these days were almost entirely to do with his work, so the fact that Marley had taken the time to comment on his tie (as well as his eyes), made him feel… warm inside? The feeling was so unfamiliar at this point that he wasn’t quite sure how to describe it.

All he knew, as he watched the woman walking away as she argued with her friend, was that he would be wearing blue ties more often.

[moowithmidnight]

Can you tell us about Acquired Taste and/or the Brutus song one?!

Thank you so much for the ask!! 😌

My name is Cashmere (Brutus song one) is such a silly title but very accurate. Brutus is a song by The Buttress and it is amazing- and I was thinking of how easily the lyrics could slightly shift and be absolutely perfect for Cashmere. I’m easily influenced by music lol

It’s a non-chronological songfic about the 75th games, her killing Seeder, and her post-death fate! I really do want to finish it, but I’ve never done a songfic before and I am a slow author ^^,

Original lyrics:

My name is Brutus and my name means heavy

So with a heavy heart I’ll drive this dagger into the heart of my enemy

My whole life, you were a teacher and friend to me

Please know my actions are not motivated only by envy

I, too, have a destiny

This death will be art

The people will speak of this day from near and afar

This event will be history, and I’ll be great too

I don’t want what you have, I want to be you

I would write this about Brutus, except I just don’t care about him rip

—

Acquired Taste isn’t actually Hunger Games related (whoopsie) it’s Psych characters! Live laugh love Psych, and I had major brainrot on (Carlton) Lassiter and Juliet’s dynamic.

For context, the whole show is super big on platonic relationships, and I love that. But these two specific characters platonic relationship is so underrated! They are the most partners ever, and we need to talk about that more. It’s a very loose fic, plot wise, more just an exploration of their dynamic and how much they changed from the start of the series! Maybe not my best work-

Snippet:

Carlton frowned, turning to inspect her. “Huh, I guess you do. I never noticed.”

Juliet gave him an incredulous look. “Carlton, how is that even possible, weren’t you dating this woman??”

“First off, it was not dating. Second, I wasn’t looking for you to be a replacement, I don’t care what you look like!”

She raised a eyebrow at him, suppressing a smirk. “I heard I was ‘above everything, not hot’.”

“Oh for the love of-“ he threw his hands up in frustration. “For the last time O’Hara, that’s not what I meant and you know that!”

She just laughed quietly, hiding behind her hand as he huffed grumpily and pretended to focus on the warehouse.

This has really reminded me that I love writing canon-compliant “behind the scenes” fics so much

[terrainofheartfelt]

Gossip Girl Playlists: Theatre Kid AU edition! —Blair’s

[Dan's] [Nate's] [Serena's]

I don’t even remember exactly how this started, but it’s @strideofpride’s fault. 

The concept began as: if they were in this world, what would be in the GG mains’ MT books? What would be their go-to song? Their 16 bar cut? And then, I got on spotify, and got wayyyy too carried away (typical me), and it sort of morphed into: what are the NJBC’s (plus Daniel’s) senior musical theatre recital programs? And now I have this: a quartet of playlists of repertoire handpicked by me for these fake people, and I am very proud of them. 

All selections based on my very particular taste, honed from a childhood in community theater, an adolescence in high school musicals, and a 4 year degree from a majority musical theatre school

And, as in the tradition of Glee and all plays within a play, the rep reflects something profoundly personal about the character, because you know I love a theme. 

the meta:

Blair could be nothing but the ingenue right??? She wants to be the lead, the romantic girl, the one who gets to fall in love and gets the happy ending at every curtain. She wants to be the star. 

Her voice: born to be the golden age ingenue. I actually have a lot of Thoughts on how modern singers sing this music (snobby bitchy angry thoughts), and I am inclined to think Blair would agree with me. And I didn’t quite know what it was until I was talking with my dad about a production of Fiddler I just saw with the worst “Far From the Home I Love” I ever heard but I digress and I told him: “these women. Sing like they know what an email is.” and that’s the thing. Blair as an MT though, she would bring in that warmth, that roundedness. 

References: Kelli O’Hara, Audra McDonald, Pippa Soo, Cristin Miloti, Judy Garland, and a girl in my class in undergrad who I swear to god was Shirley Jones’ second coming. She’s also a pageant queen, so let’s call her Miss Iowa 

the tracklist:

The Beauty Is — The Light in the Piazza

Now, most people would go for the title song of this musical, but I think Blair would prefer the technical challenge of the ingenue’s first solo. 

Now, there was once this guy, Richard Rodgers, and he was a god of song, and he had this grandson, Adam Guettel, and Adam Guettel is a god damn genius, and has, sadly, written so few masterpieces for us to enjoy. (is it bc he and his muse Kelli O’Hara broke up? Who’s to say). But he gave us this opus, a neoromantic musical callback to his ancestor’s work, about an american woman and her daughter that travel to Florence on vacation, and they get swept up in the city, and ROMANCE. 

Clara wanders the Uffizi Gallery, musing about humanity and thinking about the boy who saved her hat from being blown away

Much More — The Fantasticks

It’s the world’s longest running musical ever, so it must be doing something right! It’s an inverse Romeo and Juliet. Two fathers pretend to feud for years, to reverse psychology their children into falling in love. There’s also this spanish bandit? Idk. the fathers go a bit overboard with the plot and some strife happens, but there’s a happy ending!

The sheltered, but ambitious dreamer Luisa sings about living a grand life. She’s a little….out there, in a way that reminds me of baby blair of the early seasons. “Please god please don’t let me be normal!”

No One Else — Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812

Dave Malloy knew that, unlike Les Mis, the only way to get away with a War and Peace: The Musical musical was to zero in on only one section. Galaxy brained. And you just KNOW that Blair Waldorf would be so so so into playing Natasha Rostova. (Pippa Soo leads with the belt in the recording, bc she’s amazing at it, but I see Blair adding her own Kelli O’Hara mix to it).

This has become thee ingenue song of contemporary lit. Natasha Rostova, dreamer and romantic, waits and waits and waits in Moscow for her fiance Andrey to return from the war. 

Just You Wait — My Fair Lady

Blair would ever-so-deftly do a Pygmalion/Taming of the Shrew set for her recital. I just know she would. 

Eliza Doolittle, fed up with her tutor Henry Higgins’ bullshit, is determined to prove him wrong. She shall be a lady, and show him the fuck UP.

I Hate Men — Kiss Me, Kate

A play within a play! Lilli Vanessi is playing Katherine in a new musical of Taming of the Shrew, which forces her to work with her ex. She is Not Amused. 

Show Me — My Fair Lady

Another song where Eliza Doolittle has HAD it. This time with young Freddy, whose more a words than actions guy. 

Everybody Loves Louis — Sunday in the Park with George

Sondheim wrote a whole-ass musical based on a painting and it is a goddamn masterpiece! Plus like, the name in the song, it was too perfect to pass up. 

Famous (not yet) painter, George Seuraut’s love interest Dot (I know lmao), compares the absentminded George to the attentive baker Louis, and makes her choice. 

Getting Married Today — Company

Next in her Sondheim set, from the classic introspective comedy on adulthood and adult relationships. Patter song of all time. Also so very close to blair’s show arc that I HAD to do it. 

Amy gets a mad case of cold feet right before walking down the aisle to marry Paul. 

Raunchy — 110 in the Shade

From the dream team that gave us the Fantasticks: this bop

Lizzie, a lovely, headstrong spinster, spry of wit and sharp of tongue, day dreams about stepping out of her comfort zone, and being the center of attention. 

Sooner or Later — Dick Tracy

Not technically a musical, Sondheim wrote this for the 90s movie Dick Tracy & Madonna. The definitive femme fatale ballad. 

Breathless Mahoney—I swear to god that’s the character’s name—is a nightclub singer and mobster girlfriend and should probs be in witness protection. She sings this song instead. 

Its Gotta Be Bad to Be Good

A cabaret song by Lenny Bernstein. I like this recording bc it’s the right balance of schmultzy and technical. And it fits how I imagine Blair would sing it. (like the float at the end? So very Blair.)

Circus

Again, not from a show, Drew Gasparini is a fabulous composer, but as of right now, most of his releases are great concepts for shows that haven’t been on a major stage. Maybe if we stopped all this jukebox nonsense but that’s none of my business

Anyways, I love this song. He really did write Victoria Pedretti in You, the Song, before You was even a thing. It’s that right level of batshit insane that Blair inhabits so well, but rarely really shows. I can see the gang convincing her to program this because it plays to a different facet of her personality than all the ingenue stuff. And that facet is: terrifying. 

Honey Bun — South Pacific

Blair was born to sing all the R&H girls. Nellie I think is one where her and Serena’s types and strengths overlap, which of course is rich with story opportunity!

The nurses and GIs at this WWII base put on a Follies production of their own for some holiday cheer. Nellie closes out the show with this number. Idk if they meant for it to come off so gay, but I aint mad about it. 

People Will Say We’re in Love (duet w/ Dan) — Oklahoma!

This was a late addition, but when I thought of it I couldn’t NOT. It’s about the Plausible Deniability™ 

In a small cowtown (where a certain blogger went to preschool winkwonk) Laurey and Curly insist that they do not like each other! Nope!

What Do You Call A Man Like That? — The Bridges of Madison County

Mmmm okay so, this is one of my favorite musicals ever, and it may just have to do with the time in my life that I got into it, but I think it is truly underrated and beautiful and really the only JRB that’s worth the hype of his name (she says even though there is a L5Y playlist on Spotify that she made herself). It’s based off the novel and the film (starring Meryl Streep!) and it combines the lady country heartland style of middle america with big sweeping italian romanticism, giving us this golden age in the 21st century sound and we didn’t appreciate it enough!!!!

(maybe I only like it because Kelli O’Hara sings it and Steven Pasquale is a DILF, idc. I’m right.)

Francesca, an Italian war wife who moved to Iowa after marrying an american GI, is now a housewife with two teenage kids. Her husband and kids go away for a farmer’s convention (county fair), and while they’re away, she runs into and falls for Robert, a Nat Geo photographer who, again, is a hunk. She sings this song after their first meeting and trip to the famous covered bridge. “He’s so sincere, what the fuck is up with that?” daircore

The Gentleman Is a Dope — Allegro

Daircore

Kind of an oddball complicated flop for R&H, but it brought us this song, so it’s a winner. Emily, Dr. Joseph Taylor Jr.’s colleague, thinks he’s an idiot [affectionate].

If You Want Me — Once

A departure from the old world mt that’s dominated this playlist, but I think, in a world of Blair, consummate theater kid, who absolutely stuck with piano because it suited her ambitious end to stardom, would be really good at this role. Is it because I think Meester and Milioti have similar voices and vibes? Maybe. But the contemporary music in this isn’t like 21st century MT. it’s folk and indie, and I think Blair could inhabit that very well. And she’s got the range for this vocalizing

Brought together by music, a Girl in Dublin plays another song written by some Guy, hinting that she’s begun to fall for him. even though she’s married 

The Hill — Once

All of the above. And just think about her sitting at the piano and singing this, like — 

It’s The Number, the italicized “oh” number. 

The Man that Got Away — A Star is Born (1954)

The second film in a legendary saga. Really a vehicle for Judy to make us FEEL things. Like with this number. You may recognize it from the other GG. 

La Vie en Rose — as performed by Ute Lemper

You know she would. 

What Good Would the Moon Be? — Street Scene

The Weil Foundation owes me money for talking up this show, but honestly, it’s so good. At least, the half-hour chunk I’ve shoehorned into these playlists is. 

Rose’s skeazy boss insists that he could make her a star, but she elegantly and eloquently shuts him down with this cavatina

Simple Little Things — 110 in the Shade

It’s about the pure and simple love, babes!

In a deep philosophical discussion with the handsome stranger that’s new in town, Lizzie defends her own dreams

When Did I Fall in Love? — Fiorello

I may have gone overboard with the schmulz in this playlist, but like, it’s Blair, so…

Thea LaGuardia, as her husband Fiorello runs for mayor of NYC in 1929, is shocked to discover she’s actually in love with the guy. 

Time After Time — Cyndi Lauper (as performed by Morgan James and Doug Wamble)

guitar!Dan agenda strikes again.

[kevrocksicehouse]

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. 

D: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K Thompson (2023).

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse opens with a gender switch on a classic Spider-Man trope. Gwen Stacy, (V. Hailee Steinfield) who fights crime as Spider-Woman while dodging the cops (including her police-captain father  - v. Shea Wigham) who want her for the murder of her boyfriend Peter Parker (He became a super-villain and died fighting her as one does). On the night her father discovers her true identity things start to get weird. She encounters and then joins two alternate versions of Spidey: Miguel O’Hara (v. Jason Isaacs) and Jess Drew (v. Issa Rae) who lead a society of “variants” who patrol other dimensions and keep the many, many versions of the wall-crawler from going against “canon” and destroying their universes. Then after the opening credits the film blows up. In a good way.

When Gwen travels to the dimension of her old boyfriend Miles Morales (v. Shameik Moore) who we remember from the last Spider-Verse movie and they fight the dimension-hopping villain The Spot (v. Jason Schwartzman alternating psychosis and haplessness) the movie becomes a mash-up of Romeo and Juliet and Everything Everywhere All at Once as it’s creators blend a visual kaleidoscope of what seems like hundreds of animation styles (that amazingly don’t bump into each other) as well as a never-ending supply of Spidey-variants (Daniel Kaluuya as Spider-Punk and Karan Soni as an Indian Spider-Man stand out in the crowd) in a moving story about fate, free will, star-crossed lovers, power and responsibility (natch) that’ll touch your heart as your head spins. And then……..well if you can’t figure out what I’m not going to spoil, I’ll just say see this and I’ll see you in March.

[mysteriouslyoptimistickid]

ADORATION IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER

Eros:

Eros is the Greek god of love. It represents romantic or passionate love. This one is the most popular form of all types of love in literature, especially in the classics and pre-classics, and likewise alluring. The more famous are Romeo and Juliet, Pride and Prejudice, and Anna Karenina.

Philia:

The word Philia stems from Philos. It is the love of goodwill and friendship. Furthermore, this understanding of love transforms the possessive love into an impulse for philosophy. Friendship is regarded highly in literature. There are many stories of true friendship such as A Tale of Two Cities and The Kite Runner that warm the cockles of your heart.

Storge:

Storge is the Greek word for natural affection. It is familial love. Little Women, Robinson Crusoe, Inheritance and The Weight of a Piano are most noteworthy examples of this.

Agape:

Agape is the universal love. It is the comprehensive feeling for the entire cosmos. This type of love in literature is more spiritually inclined. This genre includes powerful literary works such as Outwitting the Devil, The Disappearance of the Universe When Breath Becomes Air.

Ludos:

Ludos originated from the word ludo, meaning ‘I play’. This is the skittish kind of love. This type of love, in literature, is portrayed many times as betrayal. A few examples are Macbeth, Paper Princess, and The Sense of an Ending.

Pragma:

Pragma stems from ‘pragmatic’, duty and reason are the foundations. Consequently, it is seen in the form of arranged marriage. A beautiful classic- The Bride, and from more recent times, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and The Princess Diaries make you see the world from a totally different perspective.

Philautia:

Philia, which means ‘between equals’ , is the root for Philautia. Philautia means self-love, love within oneself, it is the process of loving ourselves. The most classic examples in literature are The Four Agreements, The Gift of Imperfection and Untethered Soul are more recent examples.

TOP TEN CLASSIC ROMANCES

Pride and Prejudice:

Why end with tragedy when you can end with a wedding? Jane Austen, that queen of Regency romance, wrote many love stories, but none can beat that of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Their societal dance around one another is inescapable, and the threat of destitution looming over all unmarried women gives Elizabeth’s journey real tension. Pride and Prejudice endures as THE favorite literary romance.

Romeo and Juliet:

Before all the rest, Shakespeare wrote the quintessential tragic love story that has been the mold for star-crossed lovers ever since. Their families hate each other, but somehow, these idealistic adolescents find a love that could end all strife. Of course, we all know that it was not to be for Juliet and her Romeo. Whether you root for them or not, Shakespeare’s characters speak truths which have echoed through the centuries.

The Great Gatsby:

F.Scott Fitzgerald’s great American novel set during the Roaring Twenties gave us the story of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby, a man who quite literally built his fortune just to impress the love of his life, remains separated from her until the narrator introduces them again.

Jane Eyre:

When Jane is hired as a governess to the ward of Mr. Rochester, she practically stumbles into his affections. But what do you do when the man you love forgot to tell you that he’s already married to a madwoman? Charlotte Bronte’s Gothic love story is at times baffling, but always filled with intensity.

The Notebook:

Nicholas Sparks’ first published book (and popular movie adaptation) tells the story of love’s endurance. Noah and Allie share an exciting teenage summer romance, which is stopped by Allie’s mother. Years later, they are reunited and rekindle their love. The story is told by an elderly man to his wife who is suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Gone with the Wind:

Scarlett O’Hara may be the epitome of a difficult woman, but Rhett sure loves her. Money, power, and the Civil War drive them apart, yet they are drawn back together time after time. Scarlett and Rhett share a stubbornness that makes their romance raw and unapologetic.

Wuthering Heights:

Catherine and Heathcliff, lovers without the opportunity. Their relationship grows from childhood but is sabotaged by both their family and themselves. The overlapping of family ties and romantic love may raise some eyebrows, but their story remains a much-beloved classic.

The Remains of the Day:

If your tastes tend away from the dramatic fire of your romance, Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel about the would-be love between an English butler and housekeeper may strike your fancy. It’s a story of what could have been, woven into the daily work of pre-World War II service.

Anna Karenina:

The passionate (and tragic) affair between Anna and her lover Vronsky is contrasted with one of the sweetest, most gentle romances in literature: Kitty and Levin. Although Kitty initially dismisses Levin for his age (fourteen years her senior), his patience and enduring love win her affection. And unlike most romances, the novel continues past their wedding day.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover:

Yes, it’s been accused of being thinly masked pornography, but the torrid love affair between Constance (Lady Chatterley) and her gamekeeper, Oliver Mellors, is filled with passion, class struggles, and a woman’s acceptance of her desires.

[wearethefandomsthatwaited]

Vagos pt. 2 - In the Chief's Office

Part 1 Lassiter? More like Assiter!

“Chief,” the blonde woman replies, tone respectful, as her face opens into a friendly smile. Jewel , his mind growls, extends her hand towards the other woman, grip firm, as they share the handshake. Lassiter is still hung up on Vick’s words, assessing the young woman in front of him. And she was young, younger than him anyway… maybe mid-twenties, but it was almost hard to tell with the bruising on her tanned face, spanning from her black eye out across her sharp cheekbone. 

What, exactly, had she been getting into?

“Wait,” Lassiter cuts in, incredulous, “ Detective ?” 

Vick raises an amused eyebrow, glancing between him and the short-haired detective. “And ATF agent,” the Chief adds helpfully, gaze locking with his own. He wants to splutter, but restrains himself, lips thinning with the effort. Detective, and apparently Agent , Stewart looks at him, a smirk pulling at her split lip, hazel-brown eyes twinkling in the fluorescents of the bullpen. He glares at her, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

“Stewart, this way.” Vick leads the newcomer towards her office, but Stewart doesn’t leave without sending a respectful, if smug, nod over her shoulder, pocketing her sunglasses as she follows, Docs thudding softly on the tile. He watches her leave, noting the confidence in her steps, as the two women disappear into the Chief’s office, the door closing firmly behind them. He releases a sharp burst of air through his nose, ears warming as he turns to the others, who are all staring at him with amusement. 

“What,” he barks, gaze baring into each of theirs in turn. Juliet looks positively awestruck, glancing back at the door where the new detective had just disappeared. When her eyes catch his, she scowls, punching him lightly in the shoulder for his earlier behavior.  He’s just started growling out his partner's name, when he’s promptly cut off. 

“Jewel is so cool ,” Spencer breathes, before he and Gus point at each other, a stupid look on their faces at the obvious rhyme. Lassiter rolls his eyes at them, having even less patience than usual for their idiotic behavior. “You totally had your ass handed to you Lassie,” before Lassiter can think to push Spencer against the nearest wall, or out of his precinct altogether, the fraud gets a mischievous twinkle in his eye, sending warning bells ringing in his mind. “Or should I say, Assiter?” O’Hara chokes back a chuckle as she thwarts his attempt to strangle the nuisance, which only has Spencer outright laughing as he retreats from his grasp. 

Lassiter straightens, standing to his full height as he adjusts his holster, smoothing his shirt forcefully, without looking at any of them. The traitors, all enthralled by a shiny new toy . “I don’t see what her issue is,” he grunts, finally catching their eyes with a dark smirk, “ somebody must be sensitive.”

Without waiting to hear a reply, Lassiter turns, stalking towards his desk, only glancing through the Chief’s windows once as he passes, seeing the detective speaking animatedly as she stands in front of Vick’s desk. He tears his gaze away, falling into his own desk chair roughly, before scooting it in, and reopening the file he’d been working on when he’d entered work this morning. He feels, and promptly ignores , O’Hara’s glare as she walks to her own desk, heels clicking softly on the tile, the detective duo close on her tail. He can faintly hear the three talking softly, theorizing Detective Stewart’s undercover operation, her reason for being in Santa Barbara…as well as much more personal matters. He feels his eyes roll into the back of his head, trying, desperately, to ignore his partner, and the two nincompoops. 

She’s just another detective , he wants to yell, what’s so intriguing about her ?! He would be lying, however, if he didn’t find the thought of a large undercover ATF operation, happening in Santa Barbara, to be exciting. His interest was definitely piqued by the prospect of a large case. He glances up at the Chief’s office once more, only to see Vick staring right back at him. “Lassiter! O’Hara! My office.” At her barked command, he throws the case file back into his locked drawer, before letting his legs carry him, quickly, to the open office door, O’Hara clicking promptly behind him.

X X X X X X X X

She can’t help the self-satisfied smirk from pulling at her lips as she leaves the little gathering of detectives, following the chief towards her office for their meeting. Detective Lassiter’s barely concealed rage at her rebuttal bringing the warmth of pride to her chest. Serves him right , she thinks, watching as the chief takes a practiced seat behind her desk. Who goes around talking to people like that, especially after just meeting them?  

She shakes her head, meeting Vick’s steady gaze. “How are you finding Santa Barbara, Detective?” A wry smile tugs at her split lip, eyes widening as her dark brows lift. 

“To be honest, I haven’t seen much in the light of day,” she answers, hands landing at her hips, “But from what I’ve seen while undercover…” Her sentence tapers off as she blows air from her mouth, “It’s less than desirable. Beautiful views though.”

Vick’s lips twitch at her words. “What have you seen, then?”

Jewel runs a hand through her short curls, voice grim, “Nothing good Chief. Last night’s brawl confirmed the intel I collected out in Riverside. It looks as if a bit of a gang war is coming to Santa Barbara.” Vick hums, nails tapping on her desk.

“How is the undercover work coming along? Does anyone suspect?”

Here, Jewel can’t help the smile that breaks over her face, wincing as it pulls on the injuries. “No ma’am,” she replies, “If they did, I’d look a lot worse off than I do now. My cover is secure, and coming along nicely.”

Vick’s lips upturn slightly, as she scrutinizes her desktop, a soft “don’t call me ma’am,” leaving her lips. Suddenly she stands, shoulders rolling back as she walks past her. “You’ll need a cover team here as well.” She opens the side door of her office, sticking her head out, “Lassiter! O’Hara! My office.”

Her face drops upon hearing the names, before she quickly schools it, straightening with a wince, as the two detectives enter the room. Detective Lassiter glances her way, before seating himself gracefully in the chair across from the Chief’s, one long leg crossing, ankle placed atop knee. Detective O’Hara follows suit, smiling slightly at her, before seating herself next to her partner. “Chief,” his deep voice rumbles, eyes locking with his superior in question. Jewel moves herself to the side of the desk, equidistant between both parties, so she’s able to converse with either. 

The chief looks to her, hands placed firmly on the back of her chair. “I’d like to formally introduce you two, to Detective Jewel Stewart, a new transfer from City of Orange P.D. She was made an agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives last year after successfully infiltrating a drug ring out of Riverside, resulting in over fourteen felony arrests for possession and distribution of drugs, weapons, murder, and prostitution.”

Jewel rubs the back of her neck, face staring straight ahead, as the chief regails her merits .

“That was you?” Detective O’Hara cuts in, pulling her attention, “I remember reading about that. I always wondered who the lead was. Impressive.” At O’Hara’s wide-eyed stare, Jewel nods in thanks, a smile tugging at the corner of her lip. Detective Lassiter sits, staring at the interaction, a pensive look in his icy blue eyes, as he takes in the information.

“Detective Stewart followed a lead into Santa Barbara four months ago, when she transferred to the SBPD, and has been undercover since.” The chief finally sits, leaning forward in her chair to look into the partners’ eyes. “You two, are being assigned as cover team throughout the operation.” Jewel watches as both detectives eyebrows shoot up, eyes widening in excitement, though Detective Lassiter quickly controls his expression back to neutral. “So Head Detective Lassiter, Detective O’Hara, meet your new partner.” 

All eyes are suddenly on her, where she stands, hands clasped behind her back to stop her fidgeting. “Stewart, if you would, debrief.” She nods at the chief, taking a quick, hitching breath, as she readies to speak. 

“Four months ago while undercover for a prostitution ring, I got word from an informant that an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, the Vagos, was planning to lay claim in Santa Barbara. After the close of the prostitution case, ATF and Orange PD agreed to send me up here, transferring me to SBPD to investigate said information. I’ve been undercover within a known biker bar as a bartender - “

The sound of her cover phone rings, vibrating within her pocket, just as Spencer and Guster burst through the chief’s door. She sends them a warning glare as she whips her cell phone from her pocket, reading the caller ID with a steadying breath. After lifting a finger to her lips, she answers, breath going slightly shaky. 

“Hey Roger,” she lets her voice drop into a soft whining, almost sultry tone, watching as the detective's expressions morph into ones of shock. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine sweetcheeks,” comes his throaty reply, “where the hell are you? You good? That was a helluva brawl.”

She chuckles slightly in agreement, faking a shaky gasp. “Yeah, I’m alright, a little banged up, but fine. When the pigs ,” she spits out, watching as understanding flares in Spencer’s eyes, “showed up, I ran.” She lets fear drip into her voice, “I had to get out of there. I…I’m hiding out at a friends now.”

“Good,” comes his warm reply, sickeningly sweet dripping through the tinny speakers to her ears, “stay away until later, when it’s safe. Don’t need my favorite girl getting arrested. Will you be at work tonight?”

She forces a warm giggle at his words, “I’ll be there tonight, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for ya.” She hears rustling over the phone as he shifts hands, no doubt running his fingers through his long hair. 

“Just the way I like it, sweetcheeks.”

“You know I can’t stay away from you,” she responds, adding a flirty lilt. She can practically hear the man purring in her ear, which she admits wouldbe sexy, if he wasn’t a dangerous criminal, and it wasn’t all a ruse. After a flirty goodbye, she hangs up the phone, running a hand through her curls as she takes a steadying breath, body relaxing. “Where was I?” she asks, eyes closed as she focuses.

“What in the name of Sweet Lady Justice was that ?” When she looks up through her lashes Lassister is staring at her, a bewildered expression on his face, ears tinged pink. She smirks, eyes lowering from his questioning eyes, as she feels a short chuckle escape her lips.

“That,” Spencer interrupts the interaction to everyone’s bewildered faces, hands going to his temples, “was what the call of the nation of four years double majoring in criminology and acting.” She narrows her eyes at him, trying to decipher what he just said, and why he’s in the office in the first place.

“Culmination, Shawn,” Guster corrects his friend, sending a glare his way, before smiling at Jewel.

“I’ve heard it both ways,” comes the quick reply, before he moves behind Lassiter, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. The hand is immediately shrugged off, a warning growl leaving the detective's lips. Head Detective , her mind corrects. She shrugs, nodding at the group who look to her for clarification about the… vision ? “I’m sensing your cover has taken on a personal aspect in order to secure your place.”

“Mr. Spencer, you’re not on this case,” comes the chief’s quick reply, voice firm.

“I’m sensing my help will be greatly needed Chief,” He needles, “I ride a motorcycle… which means I can easily enter biker hangouts without calling suspicion. Plus, it might look shady if Jewel, ” he purrs as she rolls her eyes, “keeps disappearing to visit the two people who can’t help but look like detectives.”

“Spencer,” Jewel replies, voice firm, “it’s too dangerous. These are not guys to mess around with, trust me.” He holds her gaze, a knowing look in his eye, as he sends her a small smile.

“I know.”

“Be that as it may,” Vick sighs, looking to the group, “Mr. Spencer raises a fair point. Back up, of any form, could be useful.” She turns, ignoring Spencer and Gus fistbumping behind the seated detectives. “Continue with your debriefing.”

“Chief.” She nods, hands returning to her hips. I wish I had my case file . “I’ve been bartending a seedy unofficial biker hangout in hopes of catching any information. Two months ago, a member of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gang - the Vagos, took a… we’ll say, liking to me. Roger “Diablo” Marín is the ranking Sergeant-at-arms for the Vagos, and as such, reports directly to the president of the organization. This means he’s the club enforcer, and is not someone you want to take lightly, believe me, but he’s also my in. Currently, I’m his “sweetie,”” Here she uses air quotes, face hard, “which means he can bring me to the Vagos clubhouse, and I don’t arouse any suspicion. If I can reach Ol’ Lady status, then I’m secured in the organization as his property, and will be allowed to all club functions, clubhouses, and organized rides, plus I’ll be able to sit in on “church,” their weekly meetings.”

Vick looks uncomfortable, but hides it behind a hard expression, “What about last night, Detective?”

“Last night, my suspicions were confirmed, when a brawl broke out at the bar. At approximately two this morning, three Vagos and four Hell’s Angels members broke into an altercation over territory, as Santa Barbara falls within Hell’s Angels country. Vagos aren’t supposed to be this far north. The altercation resulted in a full bar brawl, resulting in six hospitalizations, and two arrests for assault. The Vagos are trying to make their presence known in the area, which bodes for a bigger fight between the rivaling motorcycle gangs.”

Lassiter sits, entirely focused on scribbling notes into his little black book, his partner furiously taking notes of her own beside him. Spencer stands, eyes narrowed, Guster looking positively peaky besides him. “What evidence have you been able to gather, thus far?” Jewel turns to the chief, feeling sweat gathering in the small of her back in the stuffy room. She slides out of her leather jacket, holding it in a tight grasp as she answers.

“It’s a growing list Chief. Felony possession and distribution of narcotics, illegal distribution of a weapons cache, assault with a weapon, and possible prostitution, thought the jury is still out on that one. Time will tell.” Vick nods, jotting something down as Jewel shifts her jacket from one hand to the other, wincing at the action.

“You’re bleeding,” Lassiter intones, blue eyes locked on her torso intensely. She follows his gaze to the laceration on her side, kicking herself mentally. Fucking hell , she forgot her jacket had been concealing it. Her right hand raises to prod at the slash in her shirt, coming away red with blood.  

“How bad is it, Detective?”

Jewel hums at Vick’s words, pulling the shirt from its tuck in her jeans. As she pulls the shirt up to inspect the damage, she absently replies, “Haven’t really had the chance to look yet, Chief.” She doesn’t miss O’Hara’s quiet gasp, or the strangled noise Guster releases. Gritting her teeth, she uses the edge of her shirt to wipe at the wound, clearing wet blood from her waist, though there are spots where it has already caked on, crusting to her skin. “Might need some stitches.”

“Might?” Gus chokes out from behind a fist. “More like, definitely.”

She sends him a rueful smile, shrugging slightly as she lets her shirt fall back into place, hiding the wince the feeling of the material scratching at the jagged cut, pulls from her. “Probably so,” she concedes, wiping her hand on her ruined shirt. What’s a little more blood? 

“Have an in-house medic take a look at it.” Vick sighs, scrubbing a hand over her forehead, “You can use the conference room. I don’t want you leaving here without it getting checked out, understood?”

“Yes Chief,” Jewel replies, relenting to the quiet command. 

“And make sure the whole account makes its way into your official report.” Jewel nods, following the others out of the office at the clear dismissal. Lassiter leads the way into the bullpen, barking at the same tall officer as before, who comes running at his words.

“McNabb,” the man in question releases a wide smile, eyes crinkling at Lassiter, “get Smith up here. Make sure he brings his equipment.” The man’s wide eyes cloud with confusion, before they fall on her side. With a nod, he turns away, brusquely walking down a large hallway. “Conference room is this way.” She follows Lassiter, glancing back as O’Hara leads the psychic duo to her desk with quick strides. He opens a door, gesturing her inside, before he makes to leave. 

“Detective,” she calls, leaning against the conference table, legs crossing at the ankle. He turns back to her, one hand still on the door. She’s cut off as the medic slides past Lassiter, stopping in front of her. She nods at the man, holding her shirt up as he sets off to work. Looking back at the detective, she continues her thought. Might as well offer an olive branch, if we’re going to be working so closely . “I think we got off on the wrong foot,” Lassiter lifts a brow, but lets her continue. After softly hissing as the medic begins to clean the jagged stab wound, she adds “You don’t have to like me, but I need to be able to trust you'll have my back out there.”

The corner of his mouth twitches before he replies with a nod, “you can.” She nods back at him, watching as he closes the door, before returning to his desk with long strides.

Part 3 - Play Nice ... or not

Notes:

A bit longer, this one just flowed out of me.  This is purely for my own enjoyment, I love Lassie fics, but I would greatly appreciate any likes, comments, or feedback. Thanks for reading, I really hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.

[myinconnelly1]

5 Men and a Baby: Pt 12 Good Intentions

Rating : explicit for the series A/N: This is a Supernatural, Psych, and Criminal Minds crossover, so hold on to the reigns as it gets crazy Warnings: mentions of previous smut. Summary: A case in Santa Barbara gets some special attention from several highly trained investigators as it rolls into the ER on a gurney. Word Count: 783

Masterlist/Previous

Reid sat in Chief Vicks’ office with three books open and not reading any of them.  Rossi had told him to cool off, while he smoothed things over with the agent that Reid had punched.  His hand hurt, his mind was racing, and the pain he felt in his heart drowned all of that out.

Gia had been a great girlfriend.  She was understanding of Reid’s crazy schedule and didn’t ask a lot of questions about his work.  He didn’t want to bring those horrors home and she felt the same way about what she saw at the hospital.  They had been living next door to each other for a little while before he had started hunting Thomas, and Reid felt they were pretty serious.  But as he saw his luck with women, something horrible at work bled over into his normal life and Gia had been hurt.

He hadn’t been fast enough to get Thomas when he had attacked Gia.  And Gia had to go over horrific encounter with two men who had broken into her apartment shortly thereafter.  He had read the report several times coldly and distant from the connection he shared with the woman he’d needed to think of as the victim.  Reid had tried to convince her to move in with him, but she said she needed to get away from D.C. for a while and she had packed her things up and moved away.  It had been startling to walk into the Santa Barbara Hospital and find her guarding the ICU.  She looked well.  Healthy and all things considered happy.

“I’ve got some ice for your hand,” Juliet O’Hara said kindly as she came into the office and drew Reid out of his thoughts.

“Thanks,” He said half-heartedly as he took the small baggie.

“Wanna talk about it?” she offered as she sat next to him.

“I’ve never really hit someone on the same side of the law as me,” He chuckled ruefully.  “But he just admitted to doing something awful and I really just lost my cool.  Did Rossi get things settled down?”  Spencer grimaced as he realized he was still going to need to come out of this room and deal with Sam and Dean.

“I think so.  Sam and Dean seemed to understand where you were coming from and just didn’t want to make a big deal about it.”  Juliet said.  “This Thomas guy must be really bad to have all four of you FBI guys after him.  Why does he think he is a witch?”

“He uses a mixture of drugs and other things create the perfect scenarios with his victims and this power mixed with his delusions has given him this superiority complex.”  Reid explained.

“Well how does Gia and her baby fit into this?”  Jules asked then covered her mouth and stared wide eyed at Reid.  Spencer looked like he had been struck by lightning before he stood and jogged out the office to find Rossi.

“I know why things changed for him in D.C.  Why he seemed to follow Gia,”  Reid said as he found the older man.  Dean and Sam were nearby and leaned into hear the information.

“Gia’s pregnant.  I think that Thomas might think the baby is his in some kind of sick way.  Like she conceived the child while in the throes of his spell.  I think he might actually be angry about this.  Which is why he’s escalated,”  Reid said in a rush.

“He might be impotent,”  Rossi nodded thinking it through.

“Wait, Gia’s pregnant?”  Gus asked as he and Shawn approached the group.  Shawn lifted his finger to his temple thinking about all the clues that he had seen but not really understood until the revelation was said out loud.

“Of course, Gus!  I can’t believe you stole her donut,”  Shawn said giving his friend a push.

“Can it Spencer,”  Lassiter said as he came over to join the group with Juliet in tow.  “Your witch struck again.  Whatever he is doing it’s getting bigger.  There’s three bodies downtown.”

“That’s not far from the hospital,”  Sam said looking over at Dean.

“We just left there, Gia is safe.”  Gus said, as Shawn answered his phone.

“Dad?”  Shawn asked putting the call on speaker.

“Shawn, I had to go for a cat-scan and when I came back Gia was gone.  I probably wouldn’t have thought too much about it but you got me thinking about that John Winchester guy, and there was piece of paper in my room with a drawing that I had seen from when he was at large.  I think something bad happened to your friend.”  Henry sighed heavily.

@maliburenee @itsthebeckyzone @thoughts-and-funnies @ladywinchester1967 @lyarr24 @kickingitwithkirk @donnaintx @perfectluminarylight @deandreamernp @deangirl7695 @foxyjwls007 @spnbaby-67 @akshi8278 @snffbeebee @woodworthti666​ @mrswhozeewhatsis​

[chieflassie]

@lowkeymulti​   ⟶   ‘  if  it’s  all  in  my  head,  tell  me  now.  ’ juliet…👀✨

FOLKLORE  +  EVERMORE,   accepting.

the words catch him off guard,   brow furrows as carlton can feel his heart-rate increase.  this isn’t something he’d accounted for,  it’s not a possibility that’s crossed his mind...  not really.  it’s never been a legitimate option.  they’re partners  —  juliet’s the best partner he’s ever had,  and ruining that is a terrifying prospect.  

no,  no,  he’s lying.  he’s kidding himself.  it’s crossed his mind more times than he can count.  he’s become an expert at dismissing the idea that he might...  have feelings...  for juliet.  it isn’t as if it’d gone well the first time he’d fallen for a partner,  is it?  juliet has caught on,  and that complicates things.

in a split second,  though,  the possibility opens itself,  and he finds it difficult to process.  damn it.  this is an ultimatum...  or it feels like one,  at the very least,  and he’s never done well with ultimatums.  they prompt aggression,  and the fact that this one isn’t happens to be as jarring as anything.

he sits in silence,  heart in his throat,  as carlton struggles for words. they’ve never been his strong suit,  he’s never been the kind of person who’s been able to think things through before the words leave his mouth,  but now?  now he feels the weight of the importance of saying the right thing.  it rests heavily on his shoulders,  and after a while,  he blinks and takes a deep breath,  finally opening his mouth to speak.

“o’hara  —  juliet...  i...  uh,  i’m not great with words.”   the words are quiet,  far softer than his typical tone,  and he swallows hard then clears his throat awkwardly   ❪  why does it feel like the words are stuck?  like they’re refusing to leave his lips as he finds himself gripped by a fear that he wishes would just leave already  ❫.   

in one last attempt to make it easier to speak,  carlton loosens his tie before continuing,   “you know that.  i’m not spencer,  i can’t...  spin nonsense off the top of my head.  i’m no alleged psychic,  i’m just a detective...  just a man with a well-stocked emergency bunker and incredibly impressive skill as a marksman.”   in the most subtle of movements,  carlton finds himself glancing down,  then right back up,  expression serious as he allows a smile to briefly flicker across his lips,   “but you’re not crazy,  it’s not in your head.    i,  uh,  i really care about you,    and not always in a way that’s strictly professional.  you’re a remarkable woman,  juliet,  and it doesn’t matter if you don’t feel the same,  it really just feels...  it feels good to get this off my chest,”   

[philtstone]

title: check yes, juliet

Summary:

It doesn't matter that Juliet is a freshly-minted, top-of-her-class field agent (alright, so she hasn't actually been in the field yet) or one of the few women working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation's cutting edge check fraud department (just last week, their 20-year-old coffee maker broke and they ran out of number two pencils to mark up their overhead projector notes with): every time her mother calls, all she does is lament that her beautiful, intelligent daughter isn't meeting any eligible bachelors.

“Maybe that’s for the best,” Maryanne sighs eventually. “All O’Hara women fall for liars, Julie. It’s our curse.”

Juliet has to wonder if she didn't scoff at her mother's claim a little bit too soon.

my brother & i had the earth shattering realization a month ago that the plot of "catch me if you can" (2002) is almost to a tee just a mildly alternate psych timeline and that thought has lived in my head rent free to such an insane degree that eventually 14 thousand words poured out of me in au fic form. im posting it so as many other people as possible can see the vision. and also because im sure theres one person other than me who revels in early seasons shawnjuliet's frankly insane levels of chemistry, lol. enjoy!

READ FULL FIC ON AO3

Excerpt:

“Your average bounced check would be routed to the bank it originates from, so you’d only really have a few days in one place before you were discovered. This guy’s been filing off the routing numbers, changing ‘em somehow – so cleanly and neatly that it’ll take a real sharp eye to notice. It’s all about the branch you’re cashing it in. A check cashed in at Chase Manhattan with the one changed to ten’s gonna bounce halfway around the country before anyone figures out it’s rotten, and by that point this asshole is long gone. The numbers go East, Central, West – you see how they cover 0-60, 70-80, and of course they require a special kind of ink to be recognized as real checks, which you’d all know if you’d read the report I circulated …”

Juliet doesn’t notice the full cup of orange juice in front of her until it’s too late. 

Her head’s still full of Carlton’s two hour long briefing this morning, during which she learned more about check fraud than she’d have ever thought a single person could in one lifespan. Certainly not Juliet, who’d originally studied literature at Florida State. Then again, back then she’d have never expected to end up an FBI agent, either.

Then there’s the wired, tense feeling in her gut that probably won’t go away ‘til this sting is over and they bring in the pathetic local guy Carlton’s been tracking for the last week. His MO is pretty girls in pastel dresses, which made Juliet the right man – woman – for the job. At least maybe doing this’ll help the guys in the office take her seriously as a field agent. And, well … she does love a nice peachy pink cardigan. The color goes well with her complexion.

“This idiot’s no real con man, he’s just a clown who can’t be bothered to work an honest job. Child’s play compared to the real thing. ” Carlton tends to pause here, angry that he’s got to acknowledge it like that – the real thin g. “ You know what they’ve been calling him in the papers these days?”  

Him . Always him. They don’t have a name on the subject yet, despite over a million cashed in fraudulent checks. Juliet hums and nods so her partner feels acknowledged. 

“ The skywayman . Pathetic. Like he’s some magician or something, instead of a two-bit liar who thinks he’s smarter than me. ”

“This isn’t personal, Carlton ,” Juliet says tiredly. “ It’s not like he knows who you are to be deliberately toying with you.”  

“Oh yes he is. I know he is. I know him .”

Her hands aren’t quite shaking, because that would be stupid; this guy, their local guy, shouldn’t have a gun on him, and if he does he’s not the type to shoot a woman. Juliet focuses on the paper in front of her and tucks a lock of her hair behind one ear. A window of ten minutes – that’s what Carlton said. Unlike Carlton’s unsub nemesis, they know plenty about this one. He’ll come in, dressed like the middle-aged schlub he is, loose tie probably, gray slacks, thinning hair. He’ll notice her, buy her a soda she’ll accept with a faulty check and then pick her pocket for the cash. The string of pearls at her neck makes her a sweet college girl whose parents have money. She mentally forces herself to stop chewing her lip and instead moves her right hand down to her lap, where she can pick at her nail polish without anyone seeing. 

“Well, obviously we wanna catch him,” Agent Dobson says, when they’re a third of the way through the morning briefing and half the room is asleep or dreaming of lunch. Juliet, of course, has been furiously taking notes. He means the Skywayman; he means the real thing. “But you gotta admit, Lassiter, there is a bit of a magic show to a good con, isn’t there? The press has that one thing right.”

“It’s not magic. It’s lies and deceit and a healthy helping of audacity, and a damn good typewriter. O’Hara, write that down. We’re gonna go through that list of makes and models again, see what we can come up with.”

Deep breath. Her purse, orange to match the cardigan, is in her lap. The gun’s in the purse. She’ll draw it, but not to shoot. This is the kind of work she’s begged the Chief for, and she’ll be just fine.

Maybe Juliet would feel less desperate to prove herself if this diner wasn’t in Miami, and her father didn’t gift her the only string of pearls she owns.

A voice clears itself quietly above her.

“Uh, excuse me? Hi, yeah, hi. That’s my seat.”

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[tcm]

Hayley Mills: The “Every Girl” By Susan King

Hayley Mills wasn’t the typical child star. Unlike picture perfect Shirley Temple and Margaret O’Brien, the British actress was a bit of a scruff, a gangly, wild colt. Though cute, she certainly wasn’t adorable. But the daughter of Oscar-winning actor John Mills and author Mary Hayley Bell and baby sister of actress Juliet Mills definitely had the undefinable star quality. You couldn’t take your eyes off of her. And she had a naturalness and ease on screen. She was an “every girl.”

And that’s one of the reasons baby boomers fell madly in love with her in POLLYANNA (‘60), the first of six films she made for Walt Disney and for which she won the last Juvenile Oscar handed out by the Academy for her endearing turn as the eternally optimistic orphan who changes everyone’s lives. She just seemed like one of us. We all wanted to be her friend. And, as she got older, her young female fans wanted to be her; and boys wanted her to be their girlfriend. Even now, a smile lights across the faces of boomers whenever you mention her name.

In fact, when I recently posted on Facebook that I was watching her hit comedy THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS (‘66) for the first time since it was released, people came out of the woodwork expressing their love for the movie and Mills, who is now 74.

Before she became POLLYANNA, Mills made her first credited film debut in J. Lee Thompson’s acclaimed black-and-white thriller TIGER BAY (‘59). She plays a tomboy named Gillie, who lives with her aunt in the poor and racially diverse Tiger Bay district of Cardiff. Gillie witnesses the murder of a woman in her apartment building by her young Polish sailor boyfriend (Horst Buchholz) in a moment of rage. Though she initially fears for her life when Buchholz tracks her down, these two lost souls end up developing a strong bond. Her father John Mills plays the police superintendent trying to find him and is thwarted every step of the way by Gillie, who lies constantly to keep the detective away until the young man leaves the country.

Again, she gives such a natural “coy”-free performance, you feel that Thompson had plucked a young ruffian off the streets of Tiger Bay to play Gillie. The first time I saw Mills on screen was in 1961 in one of her biggest hits for the Disney studio THE PARENT TRAP, a trippy comedy about twin sisters who meet at summer camp after their divorced parents (Maureen O’Hara and Brian Keith) had divvied them up as babies when the marriage ended. (One has to admit in this day and age, it’s more than a bit creepy and cruel that parents would do something like this.) The twins decide to play a trick on their parents, while plotting a way to get them back together, by switching places after summer camp.

Not only did the movie prove Mills could handle comedy with great aplomb, THE PARENT TRAP also turned Mills into a singing star. Not that she could really sing, but Richard and Robert Sherman penned Mills the catchy “Let’s Get Together” which became a hit tune.

Her next film for Disney IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS (‘62), an adventure based on a Jules Verne story, was the weakest of her Disney films. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for her follow-up movie SUMMER MAGIC (1963), a nostalgic comedy with the Sherman brothers once again supplying the songs. She was 17 when she made THE MOON-SPINNERS (‘64), a mystery thriller set in Crete based on a Mary Stewart best-seller. This time around, she is paired with the handsome British actor Peter McEnery as her love interest. Every girl in the audience also wanted McEnery as their love interest. Reviews were decidedly mixed, but Bosley Crowther in the New York Times stated the actress was growing up, noting “the ripening attractiveness” of Mills.

Mills ended her time with Disney with the blockbuster That Darn Cat! (‘65), an entertaining comedy about a mischievous Siamese cat named DC owned by Mills that ends up helping the FBI in solving a robbery and kidnapping. While she was under contract, Mills also made films in England including the lauded WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND (‘61) based on her mother’s 1959 novel of the same name. Directed by Bryan Forbes, the family film revolves around three farm children who find a bearded fugitive (Alan Bates) in their barn. Because he utters “Jesus Christ” when he is found, the three believe he really is Jesus. Mills received a BAFTA nomination for her charming performance.

Her first post-Disney film after GYPSY GIRL (’66) was the heavenly comedy THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS (‘66) directed by Ida Lupino. I loved it when I first saw it and adored it when I revisited it recently. Mills and June Harding play the best of friends at a Catholic girls’ school and in between studying get into all sorts of trouble much to the chagrin of the Mother Superior (Rosalind Russell). Attending Catholic girls’ school for nine years, there’s little wonder TROUBLE WITH ANGELS is my favorite Mills film. TROUBLE WITH ANGELS also would be the last Mills film I would see in a movie theater.

THE FAMILY WAY (‘66), was her first grown-up role and marked her first nude scene. Not only that, Mills created a scandal when she had a romance with the film’s director Roy Boulting, who not only had children, but he was nearly 33 years older than Mills. The two would marry for six years in the 1970s and a have son, Crispian. Most of her films during that time certainly weren’t for her young fans and frankly weren’t very good.

Mills took a six-year hiatus and returned in the acclaimed 1981 miniseries The Flame Trees of Thika which aired on PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre. She’s been going strong ever since, even touring Australia in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I. Mills returned to the Disney fold doing several projects including the Disney Channel movie THE PARENT TRAP II (‘86), for which I got to interview her in person, and the Disney Channel film BACK HOME (‘89), for which I interviewed her for the Los Angeles Times.

I asked her—and yes, she was charming—in 1990 if it was different being a child star in Hollywood versus being one in England. “Quite different,” she noted. “As far as my own life was concerned going over to America was a most wonderful holiday. It was like going to Disneyland. America was a playground, and everything was larger than life. The sun was always shining, and the cars were always clean and shiny, and everyone said, ‘You’re welcome.’ It was rows and rows of comics, ice cream sundaes and endless channels on the TV. I was very well looked after. All I was expected to do was learn my lines and get on the set. Of course, when I came back to England I came back to reality and had to go to board school and behave myself!”

[samandcheesewinchesterr]

Okay first I wanna go on record here and say that Psych is my favourite show of all time (tied with 911 but that’s not important right now).

HOWEVER I think it’s really important to look at everything you consume with a critical eye, even especially your favourite media. blindly consuming something means you fall susceptible to things like cop propaganda (brooklyn nine nine, psych) and you’ll end up supporting the bad with the good which is, needless to say, dangerous.

So I’m gonna go on a little rant here about some things that really bug me about psych. not relentlessly insulting it for no reason of course but just criticizing things that really should be criticized.

Okay first of all, as previously mentioned, it is cop propaganda, it is, plain and simple.

Sure the general theme of the show seems at first to be, two private “psychic” detectives work cases and solve them faster and better than the cops making them seem foolish in the process. However actually watching the show you see that they work with the police department more often than not, befriend (and date) the detectives, and you end up falling equally in love with the cops because of their characters. Not to mention the fact that they consistently search without warrants, ‘in the name of justice’, needlessly pull their gun on civilians, make arrests with insufficient evidence just so that they can say it’s solved, and in one episode Lassie even arrested a woman he actually believed to innocent. And they do all this with the underlying commentary of ‘this is okay because we got justice in the end’, ‘this is okay because i’m a little stressed right now’, ‘this is okay because _____’ Convincing people that police officer is a morally grey job where ‘everything turns out all right so it’s okay if we smudge the lines a bit’.

Next up, Juliet. This is gonna be a long one folks so buckle up.

First of all there are two main female characters, and one of which essentially has two lines throughout the show which are ‘spencer you’re not on this case, get out’ and ‘spencer you’re on this case we need you’. That’s it. And the other one is Juliet O’Hara.

Juliets character, as countless other people have pointed out, pretty much exists as a love interest for Shawn. The first time they ‘kissed’ made no sense to me as there was nothing to suggest that she had feelings for him at all. before that, she had more or less the same opinion of him as Lassie did.

Her character only got worse as the show went on, she stopped having major scenes that didn’t envolve Shawn, her personality disappeared, and at this point she was pretty much, ‘The Girlfriend’. Now the breakup. After she found out Shawn wasn’t actually psychic, she was pissed (rightly so) and they broke up. But only for a couple episodes. They showed none of the mending of the relationship, they were just suddenly back together, and they made Jules forgive Shawn way too quickly.

All in all they did her character really dirty.

Ah and next up of course we have, lgbt representation. This ones surprisingly short though. (like their list of queer characters)

“Gray it was 2006 lighten up.” No. No I will not.

First let’s talk about Woody. Canonically queer as he’s talked about being in relationships with/being attracted to both men and women, though only shown on screen with women. Also the fact that they made the one(ish) canonically queer character the ‘weird pervy coroner guy’ is just very uncomfortable.

Next up for the representation catergory we have Carlton Lassiter himself.

In a tweet in 2010 the writing team confirmed that he is pansexual. Great right? Not really. You see 2010 was four years before the show ended. Four seasons, 41+ episodes, AND a movie released in 2017. They had all those chances to confirm it on the show and did they? Of course not. He too has only been shown dating women, except unlike Woody he hasn’t even alluded to being attracted to anyone other than a women. (so you can guess my hopes for LCH are unbelievably high and uncatergorically low at the same time)

Yang is also canonically wlw and i have nothing to say about that actually she’s an icon and i love her just thought we needed a little good news here. But alas we now must return the bad side of Psych.

Anyways now we have racism in general. White washing, lack of non-white people, etc. (btw i am white so if any of this is insensitive or phrased poorly please let me know and i’ll change it/delete it)

So James Roday is latino and identifies as latino yet they made Shawn white and constantly remind of us of that fact.

And of course the glaring problem that the show is entirely white characters except for a single black guy. Sure they called themselves out for it (“gus don’t be the only black lead on a major cable network show”) but they still did it.

I’ve had this post in my drafts for a while just in case i wanted to add anything to it but i’m pretty sure this is everything. these things just really bug me and i wanted to make a post about them.

[brinnanza]

also bc I’m thinking about it and may or may not write it, my ideal shawn/juliet wedding ceremony goes like this:

priest: do you, juliet o’hara take this man, shawn spencer -

shawn: and gus!

priest: uh you do know that marriage is a two-person ceremony right sir the catholic church does not condone - 

jules: honestly just indulge him legally it’s only the two of us

shawn: I can’t believe you would write gus out of our marriage like this jules

jules: shawn please.

priest: ...anyway. do you, juliet o’hara take this man, shawn spencer -

shawn: and gus!

priest: ...and gus. to be your lawfully wedded husband

juliet: I do

priest: and do you, shawn spencer - 

shawn: and gus!

priest: ...and... gus... take this woman, juliet o’hara to be your lawfully wedded spouse

shawn: I do

gus: I do

priest: then by the power vested in me by the state of california, I now declare you husband and wife

shawn: and gus!

priest: sure. you may kiss the bride

shawn, going for gus: I’m kidding, I’m kidding. *winks* you’ll get your smooch later *lays on on juliet*